April 2016
St Mark’s bell tower is located in a corner of St Mark’s Square near the front of the basilica. It is also called St Mark’s Campanile meaning a free-standing bell tower. It is 98.6 metres high and true to the meaning of ‘campanile’, it stand detached from St Mark’s Basilica. At this height, the bell tower is the tallest building in Venice.
At the top of the tower there are 5 huge bells and around it, there is a viewing gallery where you can have a 360° view of Venice island. You go up (and down) the tower by lift where you can admire and photograph the views of the island. The lift cost €8 and is operational from 9:00 a.m. You buy your tickets at the counters in the bell tower building below.
On the day of our visit, it was raining, wind blowing and cold. Up In the tower, haze in the distance obstruct what would have been a panoramic view. Nonetheless, it was worth the entrance fees as you would not get this kind of views from any other nearby buildings.